Don't have an account?

Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Demolition clears site for entrance to renewed Union Station in Springfield

ae demo.jpg

Crews finish up the demolition Thursday of the parking garage on Liberty Street accross from Union Station as the area will become part of the $ 83 Million Union Station Intermodal Transportation and Rail Center project.
(Mark M. Murray/ The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD — Demolition crews are wrapping up work removing an unstable parking garage on Frank B. Murray Street, making way for the new improved Springfield Union Station taking shape across the street.

The property will serve as a new entrance to the planned $83 million Union Station Intermodal Transportation and Rail Center.

As part of the center, the soon-to-be-vacant lot also will be the site of a surface parking lot and four bus berths.

Renovations at the historic station were delayed but are on track to be completed sometime in 2015.

Union Station was built in 1926 and closed in 1973. It has been owned by the city since 1988.

Plans call for the construction of a 200-space parking garage with 23 lower-level bus berths in place of the baggage building adjacent to the station proper. Ticketing operations for Peter Pan Bus Lines, Amtrak and Greyhound will go into the surviving railroad ticket offices.

The great hall of the passenger terminal also will be renovated, as will tunnels accessing the train platforms.

The entire Union Station project is expected to result in some 3,000 construction jobs.